Top BBQ Tips

With summer approaching, many of us will no doubt be thinking about firing up the Barbie (I actually started on April 18^th!) However, in the UK, because we rarely use our BBQs, we often forget how to use them safely or properly and end up using them as a tool to flame food until it’s black on the outside and raw in the middle.

So we’ve put together a list of our top BBQ tips to help you get the most out of your summer and avoid food poisoning. Whether you’re thinking of cooking on holiday or at home, there’s something here to make things easier.

BBQ or Grill? What’s the Difference?

This is nice and simple.

• If the lid is down, you’re BBQ-ing.
• If the lid is up, you’re grilling.

Grilling requires high heat and short cooking times over a direct heat source (more on this later). BBQ-ing is slow and done over a low, indirect heat source.

Invest

If you love having a BBQ, invest in a top quality piece of kit. Look after it carefully and it’ll give you years of service. I personally prefer cooking on charcoal but if you want to go gas, do. If you opt for a charcoal BBQ, I’d recommend a kettle shape such as a Weber One-Touch Premium, this really does make cooking easy and allows you to experiment with cooking styles. You can BBQ anything from burgers to whole chickens in them or if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can bake great bread and pizza.

The other big names to keep an eye out for are Outback, Broil King, and Bodum. If you can, get a grill with a built in thermometer, it simplifies things and lets you know at a glance if the charcoal is dying out.

Location & Set-up

Ok, let’s get the Health & Safety out of the way:

• You’re setting fire to something so make sure the BBQ is placed well away from any buildings, deck railings, away from under eaves, and overhanging branches.
• Ensure children and pets are kept away from the grill area at all times.
• Never leave your BBQ unattended.
• Lighter fluid is not needed. EVER.

Lighting

Lighting a BBQ used to be a bit of a pain. Luckily there’s an easy way to fix this thanks to BBQ legends Weber. They’ve created the Weber Portable Chimney Starter, essentially a metal tube with a handle that makes lighting charcoal amazingly simple.

Place a couple of firelighters on the charcoal grill, fill the Chimney with charcoal and place over firelighters, light the firelighters. Wait about 35-45 minutes until the coals at the top are glowing red with a powdery grey surface and pour into the BBQ. Put the cooking grill in position and let it come up to temperature.

Lid

If your BBQ comes with a lid, use it. It’s there to keep heat in and helps your grill act like an oven. It also helps keep your meat moist and stops it drying out. It achieves this by allowing hot air to circulate inside, this cooks the food evenly whilst shortening cooking times. If you’ve the temperature right, all you have to do is set a timer and turn the food once.

Cooking

The most important thing to remember is not to move the meat around too much, particularly if you’re BBQ-ing. If you try to turn the meat and it sticks, it’s not ready. Remember, we’re looking for those lovely dark brown grill marks in the meat so don’t be afraid to leave it alone.

• Ensure any frozen food is thoroughly defrosted before cooking.
• Use different grill tools for raw and cooked meats.
• Don’t use the same marinade that’s had raw meat in it as a table sauce.
• DON’T START COOKING IF THE CHARCOAL IS STILL FLAMING – this is a great way to burn the outside whilst leaving the inside raw. Wait until the coals are glowing and you can’t hold your hand over them without swearing.

Timings

This is a rough guide for charcoal grills but it should give great results. Direct cooking is simply grilling foods directly over the charcoal. For indirect cooking the charcoal is placed to the side of the food, not directly under it.

Cleaning

This is an often neglected area of BBQ-ing. If you have a lid, it’s simple. When you’ve finished grilling, place the lid back and close all vents. This causes the coals to use up all the oxygen inside and burn much hotter. This in effect burns any juices, fat, or meat left on the cooking grill to a cinder. It’s like a pyrolytic clean and the most effective way of cleaning your grill.

The next time you light your BBQ, leave the cooking grill over the charcoal for 15 minutes or so and then brush off any remaining debris with a wire brush. It should come up like new!

Grill Time!

If this hasn’t inspired you to get out and BBQ this weekend, I don’t know what will! Remember, a good BBQ takes time, plan in advance and don’t rush it. If something’s taking longer to cook than expected have another beer and simply enjoy being outdoors!

Keep your eyes peeled on the blog as we’ll be adding some of our favourite BBQ recipes throughout the summer. In the meantime, if you’ve got a particular favourite or any tips, get in touch below or via Facebook and Twitter. Also, don’t forget to sign up to our Newsletter for all the latest deals or check out our other foodie blogs.